Human Trafficking
Human trafficking, which is the transportation of people (usually women) by means of threat, force, coercion, abduction, fraud, or deception for the purpose of exploiting them is a major issue in the United States. Trafficking done within the U.S. borders is often referred to as domestic human trafficking. This type of trafficking is done mainly for enforcing the labor of individuals, commonly as domestic servitude. However, there are many other forms of enforced labor like agricultural, manufacturing, janitorial, or even strip club dancing jobs. Despite this, the prevailing number of investigations that surround human trafficking involve cases of individuals who are forced in the sexual aspect rather than the labor one. “An additional 200,000 American children are considered at risk for trafficking in the sex industry”. Many women are forced to work in brothels. In connection with transportation, human trafficking is the physical movement of individuals across borders. In this case, across the U.S. border. “As many as 17,500 people are trafficked to the United States peryear.” Victims are transported secretly, very often successfully. People have been hidden in the engine and floor compartments and sewn into the upholstery or side panels of vehicles. In some cases, they have been concealed in the back of tractor trailer trucks. The forced facet of human trafficking has been tied to the historically significant event of slavery. Slave trade from the Atlantic to the Americas was arguably the first instance of human trafficking. The similarities between the two are forced labor with little to no wage, long work hours, and cruel treatment by employers. In many cases, young women are made false promises of better futures and good-payi ng jobs only to be lured into deception as slaves were promised their abolishment but were highly restricted afterward. Consequently, the living and working conditions of trafficked humans are much the same as those experienced by slaves. In conclusion, human trafficking in the United States has contributed to a lot of global issues. There has been a threat to the overall development of the globe. Among this, an increase in prostitution and slave labor and a rise in AIDS. The irregular emigration of human trafficking also decreases the levels of human capital (“the skills, knowledge, and experience possessed by an individual or population, viewed in the terms of their value of cost to an organization”). This in turn produces negative demographic consequences which tears at the social development of transitioning countries by weakening their social norms and morals and inventing the promotion of crime, corruption, and the spread of diseases. 105841.jpg Trafficking.jpg women---trafficking--homep040.jpg malehandwithbarcode.jpg oppression-of-women-human-trafficking.jpg Works Cited: "What Is Human Trafficking? | The Resurgence." Home | The Resurgence. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2012. . Hepburn, StephanieSimon, Rita. "Hidden In Plain Sight: Human Trafficking In The United States." Gender Issues 27.1/2 (2010): 1. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 1 Dec. 2012. "Trafficking In Persons: U.S. Policy And Issues For Congress." Trends In Organized Crime 14.2/3 (2011): 267-271. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Dec. 2012. Images: http://www.greenz.jp http://www.morethanrice.com http://www.news.az http://www.news.lib.uchicago.edu http://www.ngoabroad.com http://www.salvationarmyusa.org